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Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

Sometimes you come across a book that makes you long to be a children's illustrator. Kazuno Kohara makes books that make you think that it might actually be possible. Her beautiful linocuts look deceptively simple, but I bet they're not. The effortless lines and simple vivid colour scheme captures the seasonal setting perfectly.

Jack Frost comes snapping at the heels of the witty ghost-busting tale Haunted House, a tale similarly suffused with the colours of the season; pumpkin orange backgrounds shrouded with near transparent white sheet ghosts. As winter sets in we're bathed in gorgeous shades of blue and spritely white.

But we begin indoors where the dull blue air hangs gloomily, reflecting the mood of the boy who lives in the woods. 'It was winter and all his friends were hibernating. “I hate winter,” he sighed.'

The arrival of Jack Frost makes everything vivid, and we follow the new friends as they indulge in some winter fun and games.

But there's a catch. The boy must never mention anything warm in front of Jack Frost, else he'll break the spell.

So when a flower springs up a friend is lost. Until next year at least.